Editor

The vodka ranking is consistent. The top three remains the same as last year with Grey Goose retaining its title as the bestseller in the world’s best bars. One in three of our polled bars declared the Bacardi brand a top-three choice while Diageo’s Ketel One was actually the most popular house pour with 28%.  Absolut was on the verge of a podium…

Increasing grape values and showcasing longer-aged wines are among the initiatives being harnessed by cava producers to improve the way consumers see the sector.

­Michter’s, which was declared the bestseller in a quarter of the poll, has now made it a hat trick of titles having slowly climbed the ranking since breaking through in 2016. Michter’s has also been declared The World’s Most Admired Whiskey brand for the past three years, demonstrating the brand’s popularity with both bartenders and whiskey experts. Volume is an important factor when it…

World whisky is defined as any outside the more traditional producing regions of Scotland, America and Ireland. The geo split of the top 10 is 50% Japan and 30% Canada, plus Taiwan’s Kavalan and India’s Amrut, suggesting Japan is on the cusp of warranting its own section and tipping over to traditional status. With one in three bars declaring it the house pour, Nikka…

It’s also the only non-members’ bar in London which forbids photography, playing further on the undercover theme. The 16-drink menu naturally makes several references to espionage and takes inspiration from the fictional world of James Bond. Vesper Martini With a nod to Ian Fleming’s famous secret agent, The Spy Bar’s signature serve had to be a Vesper Martini – shaken, not stirred. Distilled local honey…

Ironic is a word often misused. But speakeasy bars advertising location and opening times via social media is true irony. Sotiris Konomi, ‘head of spies’ at The Spy Bar in Raffles, London, wants to bring back espionage to the so-called speakeasy. In an underground space once occupied by MI5 in The Old War Office, The Spy Bar is invisible online, with no Instagram page or…

­The presence of Johnnie Walker in the world’s best bars is significant, with almost half using it as a top-three option by volume. ­ The Macallan was once again the runner-up with the second most bars declaring it their bestseller, an impressive statement for a brand which demands a premium. It also topped the trending list with almost double the number of votes than…

Once again the established rum brands have demonstrated their influence in the industry’s top bars. Bacardi, Havana Club and Planteray have retained their podium spots and were collectively the house pour in two thirds of the bars polled. However, while the order of the top three remains the same as 2025, the gap is narrowing with just a few bars separating the brands. There’s…

The headline news for this year’s Brands Report is the success of Fords gin. Never before has a brand debuted in Bartenders’ Choice at the top of the ranking. Despite being made in south London, the brand is thriving in the US under the leadership of Brown-Forman, but this latest achievement can be attributed to its recent engagement in Europe – including the opening of…

For the 10th time in Brands Report history Tanqueray has been named the bestselling gin. Since 2013 Diageo’s flagship gin hasn’t left the top two and this year it was the number one choice in 30% of our polled bars – almost twice that of both Beefeater and Bombay. Gin’s role in many classic cocktails makes it one of the most competitive of all…